Flathead Teacher Wins National Award for Excellence
Join us in celebrating our amazing Flathead High School automotive teacher, Rob Hunter, who was surprised in his auto shop class this morning with a whopping $50,000 as a winner of the 2024 Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence! Mr. Hunter is the only teacher in Montana to receive this award, and one of 25 educators from 19 states.
This incredible honor recognizes Mr. Hunter’s dedication to skilled trades education and the amazing impact he has on our students. A group of two dozen students, teachers, and Mr. Hunter’s mother, brother, and wife gathered to surprise him with a check that will support his outstanding automotive program as well as reward his hard work. The school’s skilled trades program will receive $35,000, while Rob takes home $15,000!
Mr. Hunter’s classes are where creativity meets hands-on learning! His students dive deep into automotive skills, working on real projects that prepare them for future successes. From building a 1928 Ford Model A hotrod from scratch to earning medals in the SkillsUSA Automotive Service Technology state contest, the accomplishments of our students speak volumes about Rob’s mentorship and guidance.
“What I love most about teaching is watching my students grow from beginners to highly skilled professionals after graduation. I love to hear about their success in the skilled trades,” Mr. Hunter said. “There have been thousands of students who have benefited from our automotive program the past 75 years at Flathead High, and I’m humbled to follow in this tradition of excellence that has created endless opportunities for students to improve their lives and our community.”
Since 2017, more than $8.9 million has been awarded to over 150 teachers and their schools’ Programs through the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence. This year, there were more than 900 applications for the prize, and the process included three rounds of judging, each by an independent panel of experts from education, industry, nonprofits, and philanthropy.
Let’s come together as a community to celebrate Mr. Hunter, our students, and the incredible skilled trades education happening right here in Kalispell Public Schools.
